Capekillers Vol 3: Separation Anxiety
by T. L. Veselka
Summary: Mulligan and O'Grady have returned to Fort Raymond but an embittered Crowne wants to separate the symbiote from Mulligan, no matter what the price. This is a sequel to Vol 2: Extract the Toxin. Volume 4 is planned and just waiting to be written.
1. Separation Anxiety Pt 1: Redemption

**Capekillers #10**

**Separation Anxiety, Part One of Two:**

**"Redemption"**

**By Tim Veselka**

**Fort Raymond – 08:17**

Crowne sat with his fingers crossed comfortably on the interrogation desk in front of him, across from him sat a very nervous and profusely sweating agent Eric O'Grady. "That's quite an interesting story, O'Grady."

O'Grady nodded and smiled nervously at the Shield administrator. "That's what it's like when you become a superhero."

Crowne's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You aren't a superhero O'Grady, you are an agent of Shield, and as such, you should have reported to me."

"I know, sir, but I really didn't have a chance I basically followed the plans wherever they went and Hood never let it leave his sight."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't use the Shield communicator built into your helmet to contact us."

"It has a Shield communicator built in?"

Crowne sighed and closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So in all this time Hood never sold the plans?"

"Actually he did."

"What?!"

"Well, that is what made set my plan into action," O'Grady said. "I happened to remember that I had an extra USB drive and so right when he was about to sell it I swapped them and ran back o Shield. I didn't think I would get away with my life but I couldn't let them get those plans out to the criminal world. I couldn't live with myself."

Crowne didn't believe him for a second, however, he had no evidence to say otherwise.

"Well," Crowne sighed and straightened O'Grady's physical file. "You'll have to go through a full debriefing with Harrison later today but for now, turn in the suit and rejoin your squad in their quarters."

"I have to turn in the suit? I was just really getting to know how it worked. I thought since I was the only agent with any real experience in the suit I would get to keep it."

"O'Grady, neither you nor the suit's fate has been decided, until you hear otherwise you are to return the suit over to the armory and return to your designated quarters."

"Well I just thought -"

"I don't care what you thought, return the suit and go to your quarters, that is a direct order, O'Grady!"

"Yes, sir," the young Shield agent's face smoldered under his saluting hand. O'Grady spun on his heel and briskly exited the room.

Crowne stared after the young man. He didn't trust him for a second. It was agents like O'Grady that made Crowne doubt the validity of Shield's psychoanalysts. How could a cowardly little liar like that get into Shield and be allowed access to deep organizational secrets like the Ant-Man suit? Worse, the damn kid had a point, he was the only one with any experience in the suit, if things came to a pinch, Crowne wouldn't hesitate to put him in it again, if it meant getting closer to his goals.

Still, he wasn't sure. Maybe Hood had managed to sell the suit plans to the underground, he probably had at least copied them. Maybe Hood had caught the cowardly O'Grady and had coerced him into returning to Shield as a spy. Maybe it was all true except O'Grady had really just waited for the first opportunity that lead to no risk to him and Hood had done a great deal with the plans. Maybe, maybe, maybe. The uncertainties swirled through Crowne's head. The life of a Shield Project Director wasn't easy.

**Elsewhere in Fort Raymond **

Harrison had gathered the human Capekillers in a small break room close to their living quarters. These were the Shield agents that had started it all. Cancino, he was just a little older and more experienced than the rest of the team, which was why he was now their second in command. He was also the only black man in the group. Castillo, a shorter but fit Latino who hailed initially from Guatemala before immigrating to the US as a young child. Hunter, his father was an American soldier who had actually rescued his mother from the horrors of North Korea during a secret government mission. They might sound like a motley crew to some but all Harrison saw was potential.

"Listen up!" Harrison barked as the three began to get dressed again. All of them had needed a shower. "Not only is Agent O'Grady returning to join us in our quarters and on our team, but we also will be getting another roommate."

"Mulligan," Cancino guessed.

"That's right," Harrison looked at his team to see if their faces betrayed a problem with this new development.

"I'd take him over O'Grady any day," Castillo said.

"I was surprised he wasn't picked for the team, to begin with," Cancino said. "I'm just not sure about that symbiote he's got stuck to him"

"I'm glad someone else said it," Hunter mumbled. "That thing is dangerous and obviously he doesn't have full control over it."

"The same could be said about you and your power suit," Harrison cracked. "Look, it's not his fault what happened to him. We can either treat him like a monster which would only help push him in that direction, or we could treat him like a teammate and maybe he'll stay one. You all need to make him feel welcome, that's an order."

"You got no complaints from me," Cancino straightened up and saluted. Harrison appreciated the gesture, that's part of why he liked Cancino so much, he always led by example. "That goes for the rest of us too!"

Cancino nodded his assent and after a couple of seconds of hard stares from his teammates Hunter mumbled his agreement as well. As if it was planned the second they finished a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in!" Harrison barked. He knew who it was going to be.

"Thank you, sir," Mulligan came in, his steps unsure. He had been stationed on the base before he had become Toxin but he hadn't actually been a member of the Capekillers team. He wasn't an idiot and knew the kind of baggage he was bringing. Cancino nodded a greeting at him and Mulligan relaxed ever so slightly. Castillo gave him half a smile but Hunter avoided his gaze altogether.

"Well, I am going to let you get settled," Harrison gave a pointed look at Hunter before turning and leaving.

"Glad you finally joined the team," Cancino said once Harrison had left.

"Thanks," Mulligan said.

There was silence for a few minutes that seemed to stretch on for eternity, it was heavy and awkward.

"O'Grady is going to be joining us," Castillo offered up clumsily.

"Well at least I won't be the only one," Mulligan muttered under his breath.

"Only one what?" Hunter asked, an obvious hint of belligerence in his voice.

"Nothing," Mulligan instantly regretted opening his mouth.

"No, I think we need to hear this, only one what, Mulligan?"

"At least I won't be the only pariah on the team, the only one you others see as a traitor even though I came back, even though I am standing here now of my own free will and not killing your dumb ass because I have some self-restraint."

"Ha!" Cancino started laughing unexpectedly. "It's true, Hunter, why are you provoking a dude that could kill you with a thought? Besides, I think he has proven he can control his temper and not slaughter us at the slightest provocation."

"Just what I needed to see," Hunter smiled and extended his hand. Mulligan grinned and shook it.

"You're kind of a dumbass," Mulligan shoved Hunter's shoulder.

"I know."

"Good, so am I."

The four of them chuckled at that. It wasn't long before they were all cracking jokes about Hunter until he threatened to tell Harrison how they had made fun of him behind his back after their last mission. That shut them up, for about two seconds.

"Seriously man," Castillo was actually the one to say this. "How did you get back control from your symbiote enough to come back to Shield?" Hunter and Cancino looked at him like he were insane for asking.

"I wouldn't say I had to get back control per se," Mulligan answered, a faraway look taking over his eyes. "I just had to get him to see my point of view."

"Oh, so it's a reasonable monster?"

"It's not a monster!" Mulligan said this louder and more forcefully than he had intended, a vein pulsing in his neck.

"Dude, chill, it was a joke," Castillo held up his hands in defeat.

"Sure."

"Come on, man, let's just forget it," Cancino said, shooting Castillo a hard look.

"Yeah, no problem," Mulligan cast his eyes about looking for a drink, hoping someone had snuck some in. He needed to calm his nerves, he hadn't usually relied on liquor to soothe himself but he had been through so much in the past week and it was as if Hunter and Castillo were trying to piss him off.

Seeing his wandering gaze and guessing what he needed Castillo pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his chest pocket. "Let's drink to the future."

"I'm definitely all about that," Mulligan said and grabbed the bottle after Castillo had poured some down his gaping mouth.

_What is this_? The symbiote seemed almost alarmed as Mulligan swiftly guzzled down the hard liquor.

"It's alcohol," Mulligan responded out loud forgetting where he was for just the smallest of moments. Everyone looked at him questioningly for a moment.

"What did you think it was, genius?" Castillo asked, grabbing the bottle back and handing it over to a waiting Hunter. They passed the bottle around a few times. Patrick's nerves were definitely beginning to settle. The symbiote, on the other hand, was very confused.

_What is happening to me_?

_Nothing bad._ Mulligan concentrated hard so he could communicate without speaking aloud. _You're just a little buzzed._

_Buzzed?_

_It's a way we relax._

_I'm not sure I like it._

_You'll learn to._

They argued about politics until a knock came on the door once more.

"Come in!" Cancino called out, expecting O'Grady to walk through the door. He instantly regretted it. It wasn't O'Grady. It was two Shield agents Cancino didn't recognize. Their white-dominated suits indicated they were part of Shield's medical division. The pair of them stared disapprovingly at the whiskey bottle Castillo was currently holding in his right hand. He quickly tucked into a pocket.

"Agent Mulligan?" the two doctors stood staring blankly at them all. "Which one of you is agent Mulligan?"

Everyone glanced at Patrick. He raised his hand to indicate himself. They all glanced nervously at each other. Doctors rarely ever made house visits, even in Shield.

"The decision has been made that we will have to attempt to extract the symbiote from you," one doctor said coldly after clearing his throat.

"What?" adrenaline suddenly surged through Mulligan's veins. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.

"There's not nearly as much danger to you as there is to the symbiote," the other doctor waved his hand dismissively in annoyance.

_Patrick!_

The symbiote had never used his name before.

"Are you kidding me?" Castillo yelled at the doctors as they left the break room. "Can you believe that shit?"

**Elsewhere in Fort Raymond**

The previous day's events had awoken a hunger in Lucas unlike ever before. He wasn't as big on the generically American food that they served in the Fort's cafe but he didn't care. He grabbed a whole roasted chicken. One of the chefs gave him a look that normally would have frozen his blood. Instead, he simply took a bite directly out of the chicken and glared right back. The chef raised their eyebrows and turned back to their food.

"Well, at least one of us is hungry," Humphries noted with a disdainful sniff as he joined Lucas in the food line. By nine AM most of the agents were already gone, busy with their duties. Not Humphries and Lucas, they had to wait until later, because that was when criminals were active, at night. This was an early breakfast.

"I can't seem to get enough!" Lucas seemed almost as surprised as Humphries. He had always had a healthy appetite but this was his third serving and it consisted of a whole chicken. Humphries had finished eating at least twenty minutes ago. Of course, he was always considering his figure.

"Me either, my young friend," Humphries joked with a wink.

Lucas gave him a sideways look, "That's not what I meant."

"Oh?"

"You know what I meant!"

"I suppose," Humphries admitted, jokingly depressed sounding.

"Well! Don't let me interrupt two strapping young lads!" a high-pitched pseudo-sophisticated British voice rang in Lucas' ears.

"Slocum?!" Lucas gasped in surprise. An older agent, her exact years a deeply guarded secret, sat down next to him. Her hair was piled high in a magenta-colored beehive, her mascara was baby blue and her lipstick matched her hair, her wildly colorful makeup only accentuated the brightness of her hair color.

"Surprise!" she cried. She opened her arms wide for a hug that Lucas was reluctant to give. He didn't want to give her the wrong idea, and it took very little to give Agent Slocum the wrong idea. The short, mildly stout, middle-aged woman would never admit it to anyone but her cat but she was lonely.

As he hugged his much senior agent a face appeared in the background, a pretty young woman with thick blond locks that had always caught Lucas' deep brown eyes. Agent Brahms. She had been the prettiest girl in the British Shield Academy. At first, she had been quite cold with Lucas, rebuffing his attempts to get to know her. She eventually got to know him and the two had formed a close, though never quite romantic, bond.

"Brahms!" Lucas abandoned Slocum mid-hug. The older agent turned and silently cursed her younger protege, Brahms. She always had to steal the spotlight. Well, looks were temporary, just wait until Brahms was fifty-eight years old and see how she looked then. Slocum consoled herself by engaging with Humphries in conversation.

"He hasn't changed one bit," Slocum told Humphries.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A bit of both," she winked conspiratorially at him.

"I know what you mean," Humphries watched his protege flirt with Brahms. He had always had a soft spot for her. "However, I am almost sorry to say that you are wrong, Slocum, he has changed. Quite a bit in some ways."

"Oh?" Slocum leaned in close to get the juicy details. She always did love to gossip, and Humphries was usually more than happy to oblige.

"Well you'll have to ask him yourself," Humphries told Slocum. "I know he's been dying to show you all."

"Show us?" Slocum's curiosity was piqued. She got up from her seat and walked back toward the two flirting junior agents. "Are you free, Lucas?"

Lucas turned and gave her a bothered look, he had obviously been enjoying himself. He sighed. "I'm free."

"I hear that you have something to show us all."

Lucas's expression changed from annoyance to delight. "Right. I can't believe I forgot to show you." He held up an empty hand, then with a thought, the hand split open and crackled with stunning electricity. Just as fast the hand dropped on a hinge, revealing the laser barrel embedded into his new wrist.

"Good gracious!" Slocum was ever dramatic. "What have they done to your hand, young man?"

"I like it!" Brahms declared in her deep cockney accent. "Makes you all sexy and mysterious like."

"Well," Slocum reconsidered her words. "I'm sure it will help you be an even better agent of Shield."

"Yes," Humphries agreed with a forced smile. He didn't want to tell Slocum that he had lost his hand while under his watch. He still felt guilty. A bionic hand may seem interesting and sexy now but when one got older such things usually bothered the elderly with pains and infections. Humphries had known enough former agents in his lifetime. His own mentor, Granger, had a listening device implanted directly behind his ear, now he was nearly completely deaf. And grouchy.

Humphries watched on as the two female agents admired his young partner and his new multi-tool hand. He hoped someday that feeling of guilt knotted deeply inside his gut would go away. He doubted it.

**Mimic and Constrictor's Quarters, Fort Raymond**

Frank lay on his back, his fingers knotted behind his head. Calvin sat on the other side of the room, a glass of water in his hand as he sipped it while he lost himself in his thoughts. They hadn't said much to each other since returning from their mission to retrieve Toxin. It had been a success.

"Did you hear that Toxin will be staying with the agents rather than with us," Calvin finally ventured a question, his tone somewhere between accusatory and jealous.

"Good."

"It seems we're still considered the only two criminals on the team."

"Sure."

"Are you sorry we brought him in?"

"Why would I be?"

"If this keeps up we might be phased off of the team," Cal sounded like he was genuinely worried about this.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yeah. I am enjoying more freedom than I ever have since I was captured by Shield. The longer I am on the team, the more time I work off my sentence."

"You think this is worth it?"

"Yeah, I had a sentence so long that I wouldn't get out until I was an old man. Not now. I've already worked off enough time to get out by the time I'm 52."

"You have low expectations."

"What?"

"Look," Frank told him condescendingly. "I've been captured twelve times by Shield, twelve times, they can never hold me for very long. I don't care if they shorten my sentence or not, I will shorten for myself. You have such a slave mentality, Cal. You're happy to do whatever Master Shield tells you as long as he goes easy on you. I'm a free man, Shield may think they control me but I got my own plans."

"Shut up."

"You're not so bad, Cal, but you gotta stop thinking like a slave."

"Hmph" Mimic grunted. Frank said he wasn't so bad. That was high praise from the gruff Constrictor. Calvin could feel his cheeks getting warm.

"At least while I am stuck we've got shit worked out," Constrictor continued. "You don't try to piss me off and I don't hit you around."

"Yeah, okay," in a sudden switch of emotions anger raised its ugly head.

"Calm down," Frank grunted. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, sure," Mimic said quietly. Damn Frank, he always had to take a nice situation and make it bad.

"No, I mean it," Frank insisted. "I respect you a lot more than when I first met you. You've been a good cellmate, Cal."

Cal didn't want to get suckered into falling into Frank's false friendship again, but he just couldn't help himself. He and Frank really were the only two criminals on the base. Calvin didn't interact with anyone else as much as he did Frank. Like it or not but when you had to live with someone, whether by choice or not, their happiness and thus your peace, meant a lot. Cal hated to admit he felt anything but an annoyance for Frank, but he knew better. He wished he and Frank could be friends. Mercenaries weren't friends though, you had co-workers that you worked well with but the mortality of their criminal profession alone guaranteed the end of almost any friendship you started up. That was the one thing that Calvin missed about the X-Men, the friendship, even if they hadn't actually been very good friends. It had been amongst the best he had in his life. Not that he had been much of a friend to any of them either. Still, he missed those days.

Behind his back, Frank rolled his eyes at his moody cellmate. At least he had just guaranteed himself some peace. Cal would be lost in his own thoughts for hours.

**Hood's new Hideout**

The last hideout has been shot all to hell by those damn powerless punks. Parker had found another warehouse that merely seemed abandoned from the outside. Inside it was fully furnished with multiple rooms including two bathrooms, a large break room decked out with a large TV and several gaming tables, ping pong, and billiards among them. From what the owner had told him it had been a place to make meth before the previous renters had moved out to the country for better business.

Joystick lounged like a cat on one of the leather sofas. Her eyes reminded Parker of a cat too, lazy and yet ready for violence in an instant, superior. He didn't like her. Too bad she was able to back up her bad attitude with a strength and ferocity unlike half of his motley crew. He looked forward to the day he didn't need her.

"So, what's our next job?" she asked, her eyelids half-shut, Hood was unsure whether she was trying to be seductive or intimidating, it didn't work either way.

"With the loss of Toxin I must rethink my plan," Hood let slip before he gave it much thought. He should know better than to show any hesitation or insecurity in front of a bunch of villains such as these.

Spider Woman arched an eyebrow at his admission, she was definitely crazy but Hood had a feeling she was more cunning than she ever let on. Her constant reminders of insanity always seemed to come when someone new was around or someone was questioning her insanity. It all seemed too convenient.

Lightmaster was better now, he sat on a separate couch from Joystick, leaning his head back against the cushions. Griffin stood behind him, Parker could see the snarl just waiting to manifest itself at the first offender. The man-beast hadn't said anything since their failed attack on Toxin. Most of them hadn't. Porcupine had kept himself occupied with fixing up his suit and resupplying it with his trick needles.

"I think I can get us a new team member while taking down the Capekillers at the same time," Hood told them. "It's all a matter of setting up the right situation. You will all play a part so don't worry I will have more work for you."

"That sounds really vague," Joystick commented.

"Who cares?" Spider Woman surprised everyone by being the one to speak on Hood's behalf. "As long as he is paying us what he promised what do you care what he has us do?"

"She's right," Porcupine spoke up. "Try working for Zemo sometime, I have, the guy is a slavedriver. I'm good with not having to work for my money."

"The problem is," another surprising comment, this one from Griffin. "He doesn't know what the hell he is doing." A growl punctuated his comment.

Hood turned to argue with the furry villain but Lightmaster interrupted. "Griffin's right. I've worked on a lot of teams over the years and it's pretty obvious this guy doesn't have a clue what he is doing."

"I don't mind getting paid for doing nothing," Joystick looked at Hood, her eyes narrowed. "As long as I don't get caught because I am following someone who doesn't know what they are doing."

"So, what's the plan, Hood?" Lightmaster prodded. "Or don't you know?" Hood opened his mouth to answer.

"He doesn't," Griffin growled again before Parker could get a word out.

"I knew it," Joystick sneered at him. That was the last straw. As if that bitch had any ground to stand on, she just went from job to job, with no plan or forethought. The gang erupted into wild arguing.

"Enough!" Hood roared. Flames roared to life on his back and head. His surprised gang went immediately silent.

"I do have a plan, but you need to learn your place. I am paying you all to carry out my orders, not advise me. If any of you even thinks twice about fucking up my plans that I will send your soul directly to Hell!"

As he shouted his face took on a more fiery hue, his eyes began to glow and his tongue grew thin and forked. The gang watched in morbid fascination as their boss began to change before their very eyes.

"You dumbasses think you can run a gang you can go and make your own," Hood jabbed a finger at the exit door. "As long as you work for me you are going to do what you are told f and I don't need to hear your complaints." The flames slowly began to die back down and his features shifted back to normal human shapes.

"You got it, boss," Lightmaster said without a hint of sarcasm. Ever since the Capekillers had brought him down Lightmaster had begun to doubt his considerable powers. He felt weak and unsure, things he wasn't used to feeling.

Hood glared at the rest of the gang, daring them to say something. No one did, the Griffin glared at him but he had lowered his hackles, no one else dared look Hood in the eyes. Hood's angry sneer slowly softened down to a contemptuous stare.

"You have all already earned your money," Hood relented. "I have some work to do that doesn't require your presence. Take a couple of days off then meet me back here. Just don't get arrested while you are out enjoying yourselves."

The gang stared at the Hood in shock. He had gone from shouting at them while on fire to giving them a couple of days off. They felt like they had whiplash.

"Go!" Hood shouted impatiently.

Without a word Lightmaster, Griffin, Spider Woman, Porcupine and Joystick filed out of the room, casting worried glances in Hood's direction.

**Black Fox's Apartment, Manhattan**

Raul Chambers had a very nice two-story apartment in Manhattan. He gave his neighbors the story that he was an art collector and had inherited his fortune. It was an easy way to excuse his late mornings and nights. He had decorated it with expensive art, just to keep up the pretense, he really wasn't that much of an art enthusiast. He stood in front of his massive corner window and stared out at the city, a glass of negroni in his hand.

A 'ding' rang through his living room. That was a very specific sound. He turned and placed his full glass down on his coffee table, on a coaster of course. He walked over to his kitchen and opened a drawer. It was filled with all kinds of random tools, screwdriver, a meat thermometer, a flashlight, and many other things, but most importantly an untraceable cell phone that he would dump once this mission was over.

He opened his texts and there was only one, just as he had expected, from an encoded number he had labeled 'Red'.

**RED**

I am back in and safe. The plans are what sealed the deal. What now?

Raul typed back quickly. He was sure his contact had little time to himself right now.

**RAUL**

Take it nice and slow. Don't rush this. We have time. Use the secondary drive to download the information if you can. Once the specs are downloaded we can get you out of there. Stay safe.

Raul stared at the phone, awaiting a response. He was just about to put the phone down, figuring 'RED' had to do the same thing when the _ding_ sounded again.

**RED**

OK later

Raul put the phone down and closed the drawer. He was going to need to keep checking on it, there was no telling when Eric would actually come through. He wasn't truly sure _if_ Eric would come through for him. Surely the nice life he had shown Eric would convince the boy not to just be another tool of more ambitious men. Of course, Raul was simply using him as well, but there was something endearing about the morally gray young Shield agent.

Raul smiled, if Eric did come through this would be the biggest break of his life. He couldn't even begin to calculate how much the underworld would be willing to pay for their very own Hulk recipe. Raul could see at least eight zeros in his mind. He had done a good job picking Eric out of all the new Shield agents that had come to Fort Raymond. It had been easier than he had thought to convince O'Grady to betray Shield.

He smiled to himself and picked back up his coffee. Of course, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with the boy once he brought back those Hulk plans. It was a lot of money but he wasn't sure he was willing to share it. He would figure that out when the time came. For now, he would keep himself busy with stealing small things like diamonds or gold.

**Fort Raymond - the Next Day**

Mimic and Constrictor sat in the waiting room staring at the Red Hulk who had settled himself down on the other side of the room, glaring right back. They were stuck waiting with him as Harrison talked to each of them about Crowne's decision to remove Toxin from Mulligan. He was rightly worried that it would make them all doubt whether Shield would follow through on the promises that had been made to them.

A few Shield agents had rigged a special large chair for Red Hulk, surprisingly considering his popularity or lack thereof. They hadn't even let him do anything outside of Fort Raymond yet. His yellow eyes blazed at the two low-level villains with an intensity that made them squirm in their uncomfortable wooden chairs. It was undeniable that he was an unsettling sight with glowing yellow eyes, scarlet skin and ebony fingernails and hair. He was a good eight to nine feet tall at least, and nearly just as wide with shoulders inhumanly broad and a great huge barrel chest. Intimidating didn't begin to sum him up.

"So he can't be the same guy," Mimic was saying, supposedly quiet enough that Red Hulk couldn't hear.

"Look, I am telling you, I went up against the guy one on one, he looks exactly the same except his skin color." Constrictor whispered.

"Are you sure? I met him too, years ago, but I seemed to remember him looking different than Red."

"Trust me," Constrictor's voice was growing irritated. "If there were more than one Hulk running around we would have heard about it."

"Then how did he change color?"

"Who the hell knows?"

"He doesn't talk like the Hulk either."

"Why do you even care?"

"Think about it, C, if Shield can go around creating Hulks. Do you realize what that would mean for people like us?"

"Did you just call me C?"

"Think about it, Frank."

"I try not to Cal, or I'd end up a nervous wreck like you."

"Seriously, are you sure he is the same Hulk?"

"If you really want to know, why don't you go ask him?"

"Uh . . . yeah," Mimic glanced at Red Hulk one more time, the massive man-beast returned his glance with a boring glare.

"Oh fer Christ's sake," Constrictor turned to the scarlet behemoth. "Are you the original Hulk or are the rumors right and they created you in a lab?"

"What's it to you?" the Red Hulk's voice was so deep and low that Mimic could feel it in his chest.

"We just want to know who we're working with," Frank Payne let a coil slowly lengthen itself onto the floor. Hulk saw it and snorted in derision.

"What if I don't care?" Red Hulk turned his face away from them.

"Are you saying you don't care that we want to know or that you don't care about who you really are?" Constrictor pressed.

"Either or both." Red Hulk muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Constrictor asked.

"I don't care about you," Red Hulk turned a massive finger toward Payne. "I don't care about where you are from or what you have done, I don't care if you are alive or dead, I don't care if you want to get to know me. You are nothing to me but an annoyance. Like someone else's annoying child I have to tolerate. If I were you I'd stop pestering me or I'll see just how many of your bones I can break with one squeeze." As if to illustrate his point the Red Hulk picked up a metal folding chair and crushed it in his fist.

"You're right, he doesn't talk like the Hulk," Constrictor tried to say dismissively but his throat constricted and his voice came out all choked and hoarse.

"I knew we should have left him alone," Mimic said. It made Constrictor's teeth set on edge. "I don't think he's the original Hulk though."

"Why don't you just shut up," Constrictor folded his arms. "You've caused enough trouble for me already today."

"That's a good idea," Hulk rumbled just loud enough for them to hear.

**Crowne's Office, Fort Raymond **

Agent Crowne always had a superior attitude but rarely was his face so smug. He had brought in all of the lost projects and to top it off he had made a Hulk for Shield. Surely, this would be enough to get him promoted to a more desirable position. There was no way Fury could ignore the progress he had made. Could he?

A window popped up on his computer display, he clicked the 'Answer' button. Just as he had expected, Fury's face filled the screen.

"Hello, director." Crowne still couldn't help but smile.

"You look pleased with yourself," Fury greeted him back.

"Well, it wasn't easy but I was able to recover the symbiote and the Ant-Man designs that were lost."

"They are both back in Shield custody?"

"Both of them."

"Is that what you are so pleased about?"

"Well that, and I was able to create a Hulk that is completely under the control of Shield."

"So, what makes you so damn happy? The fact that you FINALLY fixed your mess-ups and recovered the Shield property you lost or is it the fact that you have created a weapon of mass destruction without so much as our say so?"

Damn it! Only Nick Fury could turn so much positive into something negative. "I . . . I thought you would be glad that we are back on track."

"Is Fort Raymond fully repaired."

"No, sir."

"Then you're still not back on track."

It was then Crowne realized it. There was no way he could win. Fury had it out for him no matter what he did. He could have created a whole superhuman army and Fury would have complained.

"We are working full time on the repairs, sir."

"Anything else would be utter incompetence, Crowne."

"Yes, sir."

"Crowne, I am glad to have the projects back, but they should have never been lost in the first place."

"I understand, sir."

"I hope so."

"I do, sir."

"Let me know when the repairs are complete. I want you to focus on that before moving forward with any other assignments."

"I will stay focused on getting Fort Raymond back up and running."

"Good, talk to you Thursday."

"I hope sooner, sir."

"Me, too, Crowne. Me too."

Crowne's visual of Fury went black. Crowne stared at the screen for a solid thirty seconds, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Finally, he stood up from behind his desk, his face a perfect mask of control. The door slammed as he exited.

He had had enough! He had done everything that Fury had wanted from him. He had pushed the projects forward and when they were lost he had recovered them. He had taken initiative and provided Shield with a powerful new weapon, unparalleled by any other organization, no one else had a Hulk under their control. What thanks did he get? Scolding and arrogant assumptions from the one man who should understand his ambition.

He had put Shield in a position of power. Power was security. Security is what Shield promised to the world. He had ensured that Shield could deliver on their promises and what had happened. He had been verbally spat and told he was basically worthless! Well if Fury didn't want power Crowne certainly did.

Crowne didn't even think about where he was going as he stalked down the cement halls of Fort Raymond. Everyone that saw him and his emotionless blank stare dodged aside, doing all they could to avoid his notice. They must have succeeded as he didn't notice a single soul until he stood in front of the Infirmary doors.

He shook his head, waking himself from the reverie of his spiraling black thoughts. What had brought him here? A grin with absolutely no warmth spread across his pale face. He hadn't visited Black Ant yet today.

He pushed open the steel double-doors that lead into the infirmary. He knew Don Thomas had been removed from the trauma ward to the recovery ward, he had made a point of seeing the former Blue Streak on a daily basis. After all, he had to make sure they were making his next tool according to his specifications.

"Oh, sir!" the red-headed receptionist got up in surprise. "I didn't know you were coming or I would have made sure he was ready for you!"

"It's alright, Kate," Crowne waved her off. That was her name wasn't it? Oh well, as long as she got the job done. "I'm just here for a quick hello."

"He is in recovery room 2A," Kate? told him. "If you would like I can call security to escort you there."

"I know where it is."

"Very well, sir," Kate retreated back to her desk and tried to hide her cell phone out of his view. They, of course, weren't allowed in the infirmary, much less to be used by staff. Personal communication devices were to be left in your dormitory while on duty. Unless of course you were the director of the Fort. Crowne's cell phone was in his pocket. Given his mood, he would have loved to tear her a new one and come up with severe and embarrassing punishment for ignoring his rules, but he had a far more enjoyable victim in mind right now. He settled for giving her a stern glare until she blushed and fumbled the damn cell phone into a drawer of her desk. Better. There were three hallways behind her. One led right, the others straight and left. He took the left passage. With all of the injuries those under him had suffered in the past few weeks he had become well acquainted with all areas of the infirmary.

It wasn't long before he was opening the door to room 2A. "Hello, Black Ant, I hope you are adjusting better to your new situation."

"Get out."

Now, now, is that any way to greet your new boss?" Crowne smiled widely.

God, it felt so good to put the new help in its place. Crowne felt the anger slowly melt out of him replaced by sadistic pleasure. Don Thomas had been little more than an irritation in his life before Black Ant but Crowne only cared about one thing. Blue Streak had been a part of the biggest smudge on his career. Blue Streak and his fellow super-powered gang members had made a fool of him. That was one thing that Crowne could not forgive.

"I knew Shield was crooked by I can't believe that anyone in charge condones this," Black Ant said, his voice surprisingly flat.

"It doesn't matter what anyone condones, except for me, I am the director of this facility and I have been given full autonomy to use whatever means necessary to accomplish Shield's objectives."

"Oh? And just what objective is that?"

"Don't you get it?" Crowne approached Black Ant's bed, he was still strapped down for the staff's protection. "You are a cyborg now. Programmed by _my_ scientists to do whatever _I_ say. I am the only one you need to worry about. See, I can and will make you do whatever it is that I wish. If that means that I need you to walk in front of a stream of gunfire so you can block the bullets for my agents then so be it. Maybe I will need you to self-destruct during a critical mission. Maybe I won't need you at all and I will just stuff you into a closet until everyone has forgotten you are there. "

Black Ant glared up at him with his one intensely blue eye, the other was cybernetic and glowed red. "You forget that I started out as a Shield agent. There's no way Fury doesn't have some failsafe."

"Fury doesn't even know you exist."

Realization dawned on Don's face and for the first time since his cybernetic surgery he felt fear. He was in the hands of a power-hungry man who had no ethics. Fear clutched at his throat, preventing him from retorting. Crowne looked down with a cold smile, adjusting his hair using the reflection from Thomas' metal armor. What was he going to do? Crowne had the infinite resources of Shield at his disposal. He couldn't escape. He would make Crowne pay, that's what he would do. He would wait until the opportune moment and he would kill the upper-level Shield agent. Crowne may be able to take his agency but Don would figure out a way to take Crowne's life if it were truly his last act.

"Come now, Black Ant, I hear that they were able to give you some sensors on your armor that will allow you to feel touch. Or pain. Let's test them, shall we?"

Black Ant struggled against his bonds, cursing, Crowne was right. They had implanted bio-synthetic nerves in his armor.

"Stop, you sadistic bastar . . . Aaaaaah!" Black Ant's screams echoed loudly down the tiled hallway. Doctors came running but paused short at the entrance once they saw who at the panel controlling Thomas' sensations.

"We'll test one cluster of nerves at a time!" Crowne shouted over Thomas' screams. "I am nothing if not thorough."

**END**

**Next: Capekillers: Separation Anxiety Part 2: The Procedure** A bitter Crowne has ordered Mulligan separated from his symbiote, possibly at the cost of his own life. Will anyone stop this madness or has Crowne finally crossed the line into madness?


	2. Separation Anxiety Pt 2: The Procedure

**Capekillers #11**

**Separation Anxiety, Part Two of Two:**

**"The Procedure"**

**By Tim Veselka**

**Fort Raymond – 07:38**

The guard standing outside Crowne's office, agent Moore, was wide-eyed and sweating. Through the crack under the door, he could hear Crowne and Harrison, shouting at each other. Why did he have to be the one to guard the door right now? He did _not_ want to be here when Crowne ended the argument. Either of the men would be in a foul mood and neither were men that agents wanted to mess with. There had to be a way for him to get out of here.

"How can you, in all seriousness, even entertain the idea of separating Mulligan from that symbiote?"

"I think it is Shield's best option given the choices at our disposal," Crowne looked down his nose at the gruff Harrison.

"You _do_ know that to prevent the symbiote from traveling host to host we made it dependent on the first soldier it bonded to. If it left the host it would die. As a side effect, that we were still trying to fix, the host might die as well. You could be killing _both_ of them!"

"We don't know the effect that the most recent modifications we made might have on them," Crowne looked bored. "We might be able to save both or one of them."

"We already have an agent in the symbiote, there is no need to risk either of their lives!"

"Agent Mulligan is _not_ the agent I chose to wear the symbiote."

"So you would rather they both die than you not get your way?"

"I made the best choice for Shield and it was not Agent Mulligan."

"I don't think any of your superiors would support this decision."

"They do. I have autonomy which means I have their support in whatever choices that I make."

"That is not what that means."

"Harrison, I am the director of this division, that means whatever I say is an order that you must follow. The decision has already been made, this argument is pointless. Go do your job and have your men escort Mulligan to the operating room."

"When Fury finds out about this he will have your ass on a plate!"

"It will be too late. Now go. Do your job, follow my orders to the letter or I will find someone who will"

"Crowne!" Harrison leaned over the boss's desk and glared him in the eye. Crowne surprisingly didn't flinch. "There's a special place in hell for people like you." With that Harrison spun on his heel and marched out the door, slamming it behind him.

"Sentimental idiot," Crowne sneered and turned back to his computer as if nothing had happened.

"Moore!" Harrison shouted. The guard jumped.

"Yes, sir!"

"Take three of your men and escort agent Mulligan to the operating room."

The agent stared at him for a moment in surprise then, "Yes, sir!"

As soon as Moore left Harrison punched the wall with a deep growl. He had to do something, but what? He didn't have a direct line to Fury, by the time he got in contact with him, it would be too late. He sighed in frustration, trying to think but a damn headache kept him from focusing. He had to do something.

Elsewhere in Fort Raymond Mimic and Constrictor watched as Moore and three of his men headed toward Mulligan's quarters. After the attack, they had been given new quarters, closer to the agents' quarters. It was larger and actually had a window that allowed them to see out of. They gave each other a knowing look. They knew what that meant. Mimic shook his head in disgust.

"How can they do that to one of their own?"

"I thought we were supposed to be the villains," Constrictor agreed.

"Seriously, this freaks me out," Mimic continued. "If they can do something like this to one of their own then what's to stop them from doing even worse to us."

"Nothing." Constrictor replied, grimly.

"Maybe we should do something."

"What? Why? He's a Shield agent, not one of us."

"It's inhumane!" Mimic sounded shocked at Constrictor's attitude.

"What part of Shield makes you think it is humane?"

They quieted down as now Mulligan was walking by, surrounded by four very serious looking Shield guards. Across the hall from their prison cell sat the newest member of their crew, Black Ant. None of them knew anything about him. Where he had come from, who he was, how the Capekillers had acquired him. He was a complete mystery. Even now as he stood behind his barred window and watched Mulligan get escorted to his likely death he seemed to have no reaction to what was going on around him, not a trace of emotion crossed his face. Well, maybe boredom. He hadn't spoken a word since being placed in his cell.

Just down the hall from them sat another member of their little crew, one who had yet to join them in the field, the Red Hulk. No one knew anything about him either, other than the fact that he was a prick, everyone knew that about him already.

Unlike Black Ant, the crimson-colored behemoth was definitely having a reaction to what was happening. He glared at the Shield agents that were escorting Mulligan with his glowing yellow eyes. If they had been paying attention then it would have unnerved them, but they had already learned not to look at the Hulk as they passed by. A sneer slowly traced its way onto Red Hulk's face and a growl started to rumble deep in his chest. One of the Shield guards made the mistake of glancing at the sound.

"You would do that to one of your brothers in arms?" Red Hulk asked. The Shield agent struggled to answer. The Hulk faked a lunge at him. The guard flinched and stumbled sideways. Red Hulk growled again, in disgust this time.

"Ignore him, Meyer," his commanding officer barked.

"You better hope you are never sent on a mission with me," the Red Hulk threatened, slashing a thumb across his throat. "That goes for all four of you."

"Wh-what do you care?" Meyer asked as he started walking out of earshot.

"If you aren't loyal to your brothers in arms then you aren't loyal to anything. You are nothing!" Hulk roared after them.

"He's military," Constrictor observed.

"He's right, come on guys, you know what Crowne is going to do to me. You know it isn't right!" Mulligan began pleading.

"The prisoner will be silent!" the leader of the guards barked louder than necessary.

"I will not! You may not care but these might be the last words I ever say and so you _will_ hear them!"

"The prisoner-"

"Shut up, Moore!" Meyer shouted back. The other two guards stopped and repeatedly glanced at the two arguing agents. "He is a Shield agent, one of us. He should be able to say his final words, we owe him that much!"

Moore tried to stare Meyer down, but the novice agent was unusually courageous today and didn't back down. Moore rolled his eyes but turned around and started walking again without saying another word.

"I am a loyal Shield agent. I didn't ask for this symbiote; the criminals that invaded Fort Raymond are responsible. I don't deserve to die for this. It isn't my fault and I came back of my own free will, I trusted that Shield would be just, that everyone would have my back! Please! You can't do this!"

Tears welled up in Meyer's eyes and his chin trembled but not a tear was shed as they continued marching down the hall, energy pistols at the ready. Mulligan looked at all of them, searching for a sympathetic eye, none of them would make eye contact. If he didn't stay calm then the symbiote would take over, and likely kill these agents. It wasn't their fault, they were only doing their duty, following orders. What could he do? If he didn't do something he might be dead in the next ten minutes. By the hand of his employer. The worst part of it was, there was some small part of him that believed he deserved it. As much as he protested otherwise he hadn't tried to stay on the base. He had let the symbiote's fear and confusion roll over him, he could have gained control and didn't even try. It felt good for once to let go of control, let someone else be responsible for what happened. It was so freeing, so relaxing, something blissful about losing control but having someone to take control of you. What was he thinking? Was it him or the symbiote?

"Please!" he pleaded, having lost track of what he was saying before. His mind was an adrenaline-fueled mess right now. So many emotions coursed through his veins that he felt supercharged like he could run in all directions at once. As he felt his heart palpitate a familiar feeling oozed up out of his dark recesses.

_**They will kill us.**_

_No, they won't. _He thought desperately back. _I've got this._ He didn't even believe himself, how could the symbiote?

_**Not for much longer.**_

What did it mean by that? Mulligan didn't know how he knew it but the symbiote was emerging, panicked and enraged.

_**Either Cooperate and help me save us or fight me and help us die. Your choice.**_

_That's not much of a choice!_

_**You brought us here!**_

_Okay, okay, this is my fault, I get it. Let's do this._

_**Finally!**_

Moore was glad that Mulligan had finally gone quiet, at least he was at first. Then he started to think of the reasons why he had gone quiet. Several times he glanced over his shoulder to make sure the rest of his men were still there. Then he noticed how Mulligan's eyes had glazed over, he was staring into space. That couldn't be good. They hadn't drugged him yet. Before he could voice his thoughts to his men Mulligan exploded in red and black.

The symbiote launched itself from his pores, his nostrils, just about any opening it could find in his body. It was excruciating and yet the symbiote somehow combatted this for him with a rush of ecstasy. It needed the element of surprise. If these agents had been armed with regular guns it wouldn't have been such an issue, Toxin could easily deflect bullets, but energy weapons were completely different. Moore started to scream out but Toxin launched a fat tendril that slammed into Moore's mouth and choked the air out of him.

The other three scrambled to recover but Toxin already had plans for them. More tendrils shot out at each one of them. Meyer was the slowest to respond, just as Toxin had suspected he would be due to his emotional response to Mulligan's pleas. Toxin's tendril snatched the gun Meyer had a loose grip on and sucked it into his waiting palm. The others found they had to contend with their own tendrils as the symbiote grabbed them by the wrists and with one quick twist snapped their scaphoid bones.

Meyer had been shoved aside, his weapon in Toxin's hands. He desperately scrambled for his radio and screamed into it. "The symbiote is loose! We need backup immediately in hall seven! Everybody get down here!" That was all he was able to say before Toxin hissed and grabbed him by the ankle and threw him bodily down the long tiled hall. Meyer went silent when he bounced loudly against the tiled floor.

_No! Don't kill anyone!_ Mulligan screamed in his own mind at Toxin.

_**They would have killed you.**_

_They are just doing their jobs, what they're trained to do._

_**So am I.**_

Mulligan gulped. What had he gotten himself into? Just then they could hear numerous footsteps thundering down the hall. There was no way this was going to end well for anyone involved.

Back in his cell that he shared with Constrictor Mimic stood with a far off look on his face. Constrictor watched him in silence for a moment but soon began to get restless.

"What's going on?"

"Hold on, Frank," Mimic clenched his eyes shut. "Oh wow, he's fighting them! He isn't doing too bad either."

"Really?" Constrictor didn't know why he cared what happened to Agent Mulligan, maybe it was that he really just wanted to see Shield agents get what was coming to them. That must be it.

"He's fighting for his life and he knows it," Cal said, sounding surprisingly sympathetic. "We should do something!"

"What are we supposed to do from here?"

Constrictor wasn't the only prisoner to hear what Mimic was saying, down the hall the Red Hulk was staring in anticipation, waiting to hear what was coming next.

"Oh no!" Mimic frowned. "He's nearly won but there are like twenty agents, armed to their teeth, heading his way."

"These Shield idiots think they can treat me like a lab rat?" Red Hulk suddenly growled, startling everyone near him. Black Ant stood up, his eye on the Hulk. "I'm stronger now, they can't do this to me or anyone else!" Slowly, Red Hulk's voice was growing louder with every word, he punctuated his sentence with a loud booming kick to his 12-inch thick steel door.

"It didn't break." Constrictor told Mimic, whose eyes were still clamped shut, in awe. "It got kicked by a Hulk and his door didn't break."

"He knows they're coming, he's trying to find an escape route," Mimic continued as if nothing else was happening.

Hulk heard Mimic and kicked his door once again. With a great screeching groan the buckled slightly under the massive power of Red Hulk's assault. Everyone held their ears and groaned at the sound.

"I've lost contact!"Mimic said as he let go of his pained ears.

Hulk backed up to the far edge of his cell and then launched himself at the steel door, his massive shoulder ready to take the impact. All the local guards had fled to help subdue Toxin no one but the other prisoners witnessed the door flying off its hinges and slamming into the far wall. They must have heard it.

Instead of leaping away the Red Hulk walked toward Constrictor and Mimic's cell. Both the criminals backed away from their door. It wasn't nearly as thick as Hulk's door, it wouldn't protect them. Hulk grabbed the bars of their window and yanked hard. With another metallic screech, the door ripped from the wall and went flying.

Mimic stood watching everything, unable to move, frozen from fear. He didn't think the Hulk liked him very much. Constrictor was beside him, ready to unleash a coil.

Down the hall poor Toxin had been completely surrounded. He hissed as more than twenty Shield agents advanced on him with energy weapons at the ready. He couldn't keep an eye on them all.

"Don't make us do this Mulligan!" one of the agents shouted at him.

"At least this way you can kill me face to face instead of when I'm on an operating table," Toxin said in a voice that was a mix of its own shriek and Mulligan's own voice.

"It's not like that!"

"Oh but it is."

"Take him down!"

"I don't think so!" a huge voice boomed from behind Toxin. "Not unless you wanna take us down with him!"

That gave the agents pause. Red Hulk, Mimic, and Constrictor came walking confidently toward them all, fists and coils at the ready.

"Everyone halt!" said the commanding agent. This situation had just escalated way out of his control. Red Hulk, Mimic, and Constrictor joined Toxin, standing side by side with the symbiote bonded Shield agent. Hulk growled. The tension in the air was electric, Toxin could feel it emanating from every person in the wide hall.

"What is going on here?" an annoying voice called out. "I thought I told you people to get Mulligan-" It was Crowne, he had stopped mid-sentence because the crowd of agents had finally parted enough for him to see what they were up against. Coming in behind him was an agitated Harrison followed by agents Castillo, Hunter, and Cancino. They looked just angry as Harrison did.

"What are you three doing out of your cells?" Crowne asked, his voice going flat. "You do remember I can kill all of you with a push of a button."

"If this is what you are going to do to us anyway, might as well get it over with right now," Red Hulk snorted, leaning down to look Crowne in the face.

"You know," Constrictor interrupted. "It's pretty fun that us 'criminals' had the balls to stand up against you for our teammate when his so-called fellow Shield agents wouldn't lift a finger to help him."

"Shut up!" Crowne redirected his anger at Constrictor, a much less scary target than the Red Hulk.

"So I noticed," Toxin agreed, narrowing his eyes at the Shield agents that had them surrounded. Some of them couldn't look him in the eyes, no matter how alien they now were. They were looking anywhere but at him.

"It's not like that!" Castillo declared. "We are just in Crowne's office trying to get him to stop the procedure."

"A fat lot of good that did." Constrictor noted.

"All of you, shut up!" Crowne shouted, losing his cool completely. "I am taking Mulligan here and separating the symbiote from him, and if they survive they can continue to work on the base. You can all complain all you want but I am the director of the Capekillers, you _will_ follow my orders!" He glared at the assembled Capekillers both criminal and not.

"I don't think I can do that, sir," Agent Moore stepped forward, lowering his weapon.

"I will throw you in the brig!"

"Then you'll have to throw me in as well," agent Meyer stepped forward as well. The rest of the Shield agents looked at each other, uncertain of what to do.

"You can't just condemn a Shield Agent to death for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he only got infected by that symbiote because he was doing his duty," Moore stated.

"Infected?" Toxin hissed.

"If you do it to him then what is to stop you from doing it to us?" Meyer backed up Moore.

"He's right," the commanding Shield agent stepped forward. "You may be our commanding officer but there is nothing that gives you the power or the right to condemn an innocent man to die, especially not another Shield agent!"

"He's right." One of the waiting agents whispered. Soon the whole group of them were murmuring angrily and turning their eyes on Crowne.

Crowne looked like he was going to shout at them again but then stopped. Every single eye in the hall was on him, every one of those eyes seemed filled with murderous intent. How had he lost control? Damn them, this was mutiny! He couldn't let this slide, they could not get away with this. How? He swore to himself that he would make sure they didn't get away with it, but perhaps now was not the time to make his point.

"I suppose Mulligan has proven that he is proficient with the alien suit," Crowne said between firmly clenched teeth.

"He was able to take out his entire guard," Harrison pointed out, hoping that it would go in Toxin's favor. When Crowne had been called down to take care of this situation it was true that the human Capekillers had been in Crowne's office that very moment pleading for Mulligan's life. But Constrictor was right, it hadn't done any good. Still, Harrison never thought he could have gotten all of these Shield agents to refuse Crowne. Perhaps they all had more sense than he had given them credit for.

"Fine. Mulligan, you are hereby put on probation, as long as you follow orders and don't lose control of the symbiote you can continue to wear it." Everyone was silent, all eyes were still on him, suspicious.

"Would I lie with all of you witnesses present?" Crowne seemed to read their minds. "Mulligan is officially a member of the Capekillers, and wearer of the Toxin suit."

"And you won't lock me up anymore," Red Hulk growled before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm not a criminal."

"Fine."

"Me and Constrictor too!"

"Don't push it, Rankin, unlike Hulk you are both criminals."

The crowd cheered. Crowne's face flushed an ugly red, they were celebrating a victory of him. Let them. It wouldn't last. He stayed still until the crowd started to disperse. He motioned Toxin over to him.

"You've pissed me off, Mulligan, don't think you've won today," Crowne said just loud enough for Toxin to hear. "Since you are now part of the superhuman Capekillers team then you can sleep down here, with the criminals."

"But I'm not-"

"Shut up! If you push me, Mulligan, I'll send you on a mission that even the symbiote can't survive."

"As for the rest of you," Mulligan growled, looking at the Constrictor in particular. "Get back to your cells and don't leave them unless I say so, or I'll make sure you regret everything you have done today. Harrison, lock them up, if I hear a word from any of you Capekillers, human or not, I'll let Goddard experiment on you."

Red Hulk glowered at that threat. He knew Goddard all too well. There was only one man he hated more than Crowne and it was Goddard.

"You heard the man, come on," Constrictor said in his rough voice. "That means you too, Mulligan, you're one of us now."

"I-" Mulligan didn't know what to say, his alien suit retreated into his body. Toxin had gotten what it wanted. He was not one of the criminals. They didn't care about right or wrong or have any loyalty to anyone but themselves. Well, at least that is what he had always been told, but Constrictor was right. It was the criminals who had come to his rescue, it was they who actually put their lives on the line for him. Crowne could have killed any one of them to make an example, Mulligan was confused. His worldview seemed to suddenly have gained lots of shades of gray.

"Cheer up, Ginger," Constrictor jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. "It ain't so bad down here with us villainous scum. At least we know how to have fun."

"He's right, we're not so bad once you get used to us," Mimic echoed.

"Thanks," Mulligan said. "That means you too, Hulk."

The Red Hulk merely grunted and walked faster to get away from them.

"That little display back there was the most I've ever heard him say," Mimic nodded at the back of the Red Hulk.

"I wonder what made him come save me."

"I think he doesn't like being treated like a lab rat," Mimic suggested. "For once he had empathy for someone else."

"Hmm" was all Mulligan managed as he watched the Red Hulk disappear around a corner toward their cells. Twenty feet or so behind them came Harrison and his crew, their eyes on the floor.

"How is it that the villains did better by Mulligan than we did?" Cancino asked. "What the hell is wrong with us?"

"It's Crowne," Hunter suggested. "He has us all scared for our jobs and full of so much suspicion that we don't even know who our friends are anymore."

"That's no excuse," Cancino insisted. "He has those guys scared for their lives and they still stood up to him."

"When you can't trust your commanding officer then you don't know who to trust," Harrison said. "We should have done more. We are to blame for our inaction but Hunter is right about Crowne, he has done nothing but tear this team apart."

The Superhuman Capekillers all walked into their cells without a struggle. Mulligan stood in the hallway, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Go ahead and choose whichever one you want," Harrison was barely able to manage to get out, his throat seemed constricted for some reason.

Silently Toxin took a cell across the hall from Mimic and Constrictor, they had seemed to welcome him in. Harrison hesitated then closed the door behind the agent and keyed in the lock pad.

"Sorry," he choked out.

"Sure."

The word was swimming in sarcasm. Harrison wanted to yell, to tell Mulligan that they had done all they could. No, he couldn't blame Mulligan for resenting them for not coming to his aide. They had known it was wrong, deadly wrong. Harrison sighed and turned back to Mimic and Constrictor's cell to join the rest of his team there so they could walk back together. There was a hard rock sitting in his stomach and only action could rid him of it.

"I might have an idea about what to do about our little problem," Harrison suddenly declared, his shoulders just slightly lighter.

A few moments later Crowne sat in his office with a disappointed Goddard. They were drinking a bit of whiskey, even Crowne indulged himself this time.

"I was so looking forward to doing the procedure," Goddard eventually said after a few moments of silence. Crowne was in such a foul mood that the scientist didn't know how to handle it.

"So was I," Crowne grunted without looking at him. There was another moment of silence as Crowne stared into space. Goddard finished his whiskey. "Leave me."

"Sir?"

"Are you deaf, I said leave me!"

Goddard put down his small glass and quickly rushed out the door without another word. This situation was dangerous, Crowne had lost control of his men and that means soon he would lose control of the base itself. Crowne was his only ally in Fort Raymond. However, he wasn't Goddard's only ally.

Goddard quickly made his way back to his lab, the wait to get down to the basement felt like an eternity. He made it to his lab and glanced around to make sure that he was truly alone. There was no one. He picked up the phone. It was only supposed to work for calls on the base's internal system. Goddard had seen to it that had been fixed. He fumbled as he dialed in the familiar number.

"Hello, Hood?" Goddard said when he heard the other line get picked up. "Yes, it's me, Goddard. Look, the situation is quickly going downhill here. Crowne is going to take a fall and I don't want to go with him."

"Does that mean what I think it does, Goddard?" Hood's voice was barely masking his excitement.

"Yes, it does. I am ready to deliver the goods."

"Good, call me back when you have a plan."

"I will!"

Far away Hood couldn't conceal a large smile spreading across his face. No one was ever going to challenge him again.

**Next:**

"**Heroes and Villains" **Crowne's sins come back to bite him, but will the slippery Shield agent get away with his manipulations once more? Also, a strange addition to the team causes a shift in the team's dynamics.


End file.
